1. FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention generally relates to processes for electronic development of conventional photographic film, both black and white and color; and to apparatus for practising this process.
2. BACKGROUND
In earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,583 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,040, there is provided apparatus for electronic development of photographic films, of types using light sensitive crystals, or other chemical compounds, that absorb light energy when exposed to a light image, to change chemical composition. The disclosed electronic development processes involve applying light energy of constant time-energy integral to incremental portions of the film to drive the light sensitive crvstals, or other compounds, into saturation, and electronically detect at each such incremental area the quanta of light that is not absorbed by the film. At each portion of the film storing a latent image from a previous exposure, the light energy being absorbed until reaching saturation varies according to the extent of prior exposure, whereby the latent image is detected and electronically reproduced from the variations in the interrogating light energy that are not absorbed by the film at the different positions.